Crossmember and method for manufacturing a crossmember

Abstract

A crossmember for a bumper includes an extruded profile base frame with at least two connecting areas, for attaching the crossmember to a vehicle structure, and which are set at a distance from each other along a longitudinal direction. An extruded reinforcing element is fixedly secured to a rear side of the extruded profile base frame between the at least two connecting areas. The crossmember is weight-optimized and which can be produced in a cost-effective manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A crossmember for a bumper, comprising:
 an extrusion profile base frame including a front wall, a rear wall, and an upper wall and a lower wall extending between the front and rear walls to define at least one closed chamber; 
 the extrusion profile base frame including at least two connecting areas, which are separated one from the other along a longitudinal direction of the crossmember, for attaching the crossmember to a vehicle structure; and 
 an extruded reinforcing element fixedly secured along the rear wall of the extrusion profile base frame and disposed between the at least two connecting areas to define a length of the reinforcing element that is less than ⅔ of a distance extending between the at least two connecting areas. 
 
     
     
       2. The crossmember according to  claim 1 , wherein the extrusion profile base frame is curved along the longitudinal direction of the crossmember, and wherein the rear wall of the extrusion profile base frame is concavely curved and the front wall of the extrusion profile base frame is convexly curved. 
     
     
       3. The crossmember according to  claim 2 , wherein the reinforcing element comprises a thickening in a depth direction thereof, as viewed in a cross-section taken in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the crossmember, the thickening extending from at least one of a front side and a rear side of the reinforcing element. 
     
     
       4. The crossmember according to  claim 3 , wherein the thickening extends from both the front side and the rear side of the reinforcing element. 
     
     
       5. The crossmember according to  claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing element is limited in a vertical direction thereof, on both sides, by means of bent sections of material. 
     
     
       6. The crossmember according to  claim 5 , wherein the bent sections of material have a material thickness that is less than a material thickness of the thickening. 
     
     
       7. The crossmember according to  claim 6 , wherein the extrusion profile base frame comprises a pair of spaced-apart parallel flanges extending perpendicularly away from the rear wall and running along the longitudinal direction of the crossmember, and wherein the reinforcing element is fixedly secured to the extrusion profile base claim by joining the bent sections of material to respective ones of the spaced-apart parallel flanges, such that the thickening is located between the flanges in a vertical direction of the crossmember. 
     
     
       8. The crossmember according to  claim 5 , wherein an edge of each of the bent sections of material is convexly curved and substantially conforms to the shape of the concavely curved rear wall of the extrusion profile base frame. 
     
     
       9. The crossmember according to  claim 8 , wherein the extrusion profile base frame comprises a pair of spaced-apart parallel flanges extending perpendicularly away from the rear wall and running along the longitudinal direction of the crossmember, and wherein the reinforcing element is fixedly secured to the extrusion profile base frame by joining the bent sections of material to respective ones of the spaced-apart parallel flanges, such that the thickening is located between the flanges in a vertical direction of the crossmember. 
     
     
       10. The crossmember according to  claim 9 , wherein the bent sections of material are fixedly secured to the respective ones of the spaced-apart parallel flanges via a weld joint or an adhesive bond. 
     
     
       11. The crossmember according to  claim 8 , wherein the reinforcing element is fixedly secured to the extrusion profile base frame by joining the bent sections of material to the rear wall of the extrusion profile base frame via a weld joint or an adhesive bond. 
     
     
       12. The crossmember according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing element has first and second opposite ends each having a concave or convex geometry in the longitudinal direction of the cross member when viewed along the depth direction. 
     
     
       13. The crossmember according to  claim 1 , wherein the length of the reinforcing element is less than ½ of the distance extending between the at least two connecting areas. 
     
     
       14. The crossmember according to  claim 13 , wherein the length of the reinforcing element is less than ⅓ of the distance extending between the at least two connecting areas. 
     
     
       15. The crossmember according to  claim 14 , wherein the length of the reinforcing element is less than ¼ of the distance extending between the at least two connecting areas.